


A Good Friend

by DrabblingSparks (ingenious_spark)



Series: Saint Seiya prompts & short fic [65]
Category: Saint Seiya
Genre: Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Turmoil, Friendship, Gen, Hospitalization, Long Live Feedback Comment Project, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 20:37:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15781671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ingenious_spark/pseuds/DrabblingSparks
Summary: Jab is taking Seiya's hospitalization in the aftermath of the Holy War badly. Geki is a good friend.





	A Good Friend

**Author's Note:**

> From a list of prompts over on my tumblr, [@oopsbirdficced](http://oopsbirdficced.tumblr.com). I open prompts semi-regularly, if you want to come check me out.

Geki stands in front of Jab’s closed door, listening to him cry. He’s trying to be quiet, Geki can tell. Geki’s not cruel enough to tell him he’s failing. Honestly, Geki feels close to tears himself. They’d won the war, but the casualty list- it’s far too high. The Gold Saints are, to a man, dead. These are only two living Silver Saints left. And, most impacting to the five people who live in this dormitory, Seiya, Shun, Hyôga, and Shiryû have all been hospitalized, Seiya in critical condition, not expected to last out the night. Well, not expected to live but for Ikki and his sheer, stubborn pig-headedness. Somehow the Phoenix Saint is keeping Seiya clinging to life as the doctors work frantically to close the stab wound that should have killed him.

Geki knows what Jab is feeling. The clawing helplessness and fear.

Geki quietly leaves the door and heads into the kitchen. He makes something simple, easy, fast, and filling. Rice and stir-fry. He takes bowls to Nachi, Ichi, and Ban, before tackling the ever-prickly Jab, taking his own bowl too. The room is quiet, like Jab’s run out of those wracking sobs. Geki balances the bowls on one arm, and knocks firmly.

“It’s Geki. I have food.” He calls through the door.

“I’m not hungry.” Jab snarls back. Geki had counted on this, and remains mild as milk.

“If you don’t open this door I have two options, Jab,” he says conversationally. “I can go get Ichi and he can pick your lock for me, or I can kick it I’m and break the damned thing. I’m coming in. I know you don’t want me too, but it’s your choice.” He steps backward smartly, familiar with Jab’s temper, and not a moment too soon, as the door is thrown open with enough force that it rebounds off the wall. Geki catches it on the rebound and steps into Jab’s room, gently closing it after himself.

He doesn’t try to hand Jab his food- that’s asking to have the food thrown at him, but instead sets it on his desk, well away from Jab’s sulky curl on the bed. He finds Jab’s spare chair and pulls it up to the side of the desk, sets down his own food, and starts eating quietly. Present, but unobtrusive.

A while later, Jab slinks up to the desk and perches on his chair, quietly pulling the bowl to himself and eating. Geki doesn’t allow himself to react, because Jab is still delicate at this stage.

Jab finishes a majority of the food, which Geki counts for a win. Geki eats what he can’t finish, when Jab pushes the bowl over to him. Jab finally rests his head on his arms on the desk, looking exhausted.

“Why do you put up with me when I’m like this?” He asks, sounding hopeless. Geki takes the unspoken cue, resting a large hand on his shoulder.

“Because I know you don’t mean it. This comes from a place of fear, and I know where you’re coming from. I know how to help you, too, so I do what I can.” Geki says reasonably. Jab makes a small noise, halfway between a laugh and a sob. “Because helping you like this helps alleviate my own feelings of helplessness in this situation. It takes my mind off of my own fear so I don’t dwell on it.”

“Why can’t I be like you?” Jab mutters, and it’s rhetorical, so Geki doesn’t answer, just rubs his back quietly. “I just wish- I want Seiya to be okay.” Jab mutters. “I want him to come back and be his same stupid self.” Geki nods. He wants that too.

“You should tell him. When he recovers,” Geki says. Jab tenses under his hand.

“How can you say when, when you know it’s an if?” Jab chokes.

“I have to believe in Seiya. I can’t give up on him. He needs my strength. He needs your strength too.” Geki says gently. Jab curls in on himself.

“Seiya doesn’t need me. He outstripped me a long time ago. I just hold him back now.” Jab mutters, desperately unhappy. Geki frowns.

“I think you’re just afraid to be happy. Or- maybe it’s afraid to have hope. Afraid to be disappointed.” Geki says, and Jab whips his head up, looking caught between furious and stricken. “Hope is frightening. I know. But it’s something you need to hold onto in order to be happy, I think. He might not need you in the fighting sense, but you’ve always been close. That’s not going to change. He’s still going to bicker with you. He’s still going to spar with you and spend time with you, as long as you put in the effort too. You just need… you need to have faith. He will get better.” Geki’s not entirely sure he’s being coherent, but something seems to get through to Jab, because he starts crying again. Geki picks him up and takes him over to the bed and cuddles him until he cries himself asleep, before falling asleep himself.

Tomorrow will be a new day.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:
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End file.
